Sunny Side /South Park Super Neighborhood

Sunny Side/South Park New Gold Mine for Elected Officials 2003-7

Bill White - None Responsive Community Priorities

Memorandum
May 1, 2007


To: All Civic Club Presidents
From: Charles X White
Subject: Community Improvements Fifty Years Later

Background:
Sunnyside was annexed by the city of Houston in 1956. That annexation was suppose to include equal city services for street, sidewalks, drainage, police protection, fire protection etc. Other connecting neighborhoods such as South Park, South Union and Crestmont experienced a similar lack of service from 1980 to the present day.
Methodology:
Notices went to thirty civic club presidents on April 26, 2007 to discuss and decide on action items for presentation to the mayor as a means of instituting an approved city measure that was voted on during the previous administration – service delivery based on need instead of services based on want/favoritism. The reason that created this fifty-year old condition is three fold mayoral form of government, lack of representation from district council member and a lack of civic leadership and funding needed to address the mass of this condition.

Fourteen of thirty civic club presidents attended the following items topped the list of major interest:
1. Flooding
2. Deed Restrictions – every neighborhood should have some basic standard. However, deed restrictions must be designed by civic clubs. The city would try and use deed restrictions to take and control of real estate.
3. Public Safety – including street lighting and parks lighting
4. Capital Improvements – Streets, Sidewalks, and Drainage
5. Housing – Mixed Use Dwelling
6. Economic Development
7. 7. City Ordinances (1025)
Note: The listings are not in an order of priority.

Intended Outcomes:
• To reach a new service agreement with the mayor to amend his policy to service our area based on need.
• To identify policies by departments and city ordinances that will authorize a strategy of implementation by the mayor.
• To identify the policies by department that prevents the city from carrying out a plan based on need.
• To identify the financial history of funding projects in our area to use as part of the project justification premise.

Summary
I would like to caution each president to be on the look out for negative conversation from city or by other individuals implying that we are wasting time. Please remind them that fifty – years have already been wasted and that we are at least making an effort.